Frigid temps and an hour-long wait in a line trailing down Madison Avenue in the East 60’s on a recent Friday afternoon weren’t about to deter Sophie Cohen from her quest.
The Downtown-dwelling fashionista was determined to secure a pair of Chanel pony-hair, calfskin and lambskin ballet flats in size 39.5 — which required not just a trek to the Upper East Side, but also enduring the day’s bone-chilling weather along with a crowd of eager fellow shoppers, everyone from elite executives to personal assistants, all bundled up in luxe label scarves, coats and hats.
This wasn’t just any shopping trip — and these weren’t just any shoes. The rarified flats first made their appearance in designer Matthieu Blazy’s Chanel 2026 collection of colorfully fab pieces — all finally hitting store shelves days later.
“I saw them during Paris Fashion Week and could not stop thinking about them. I was obsessed,” Cohen, 28, told The Post about the $1,500 objects of her desire. “I had to get them, no matter what. I didn’t care how long the line was.“
The fancy footwear and other ultra-haute pieces from the release — trumpeted turnlock jeans, mint green embossed croc pumps and a bevy of look-at-me handbags — have quickly become must-haves among crowds of younger, hipper fashionistas like Cohen, all flocking to normally hushed Chanel boutiques for whichever works of au courant art they can get their manicured hands on.
Departing from the black and white regality that’s cemented the demure French fashion house as a clean, quiet, primly posh “It” brand of the 1900s, Blazy, 41, is amping up maximalism to the max.
Officially on the job for one year as of this month, the Parisian pacesetter — formerly of Bottega Veneta — is taking up the mantle passed down by the lofty likes of the late Karl Lagerfeld and, of course, founder Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel.
While maintaining the core elegance set by his predecessors, Blazy has injected funky pizzazz into the century-old imprint — after a recent dip in revenue amid the global economic crisis.
The company took in $18.7 billion in 2024, a 4.3% decline from its 2023 intake, according to a May 2025 financial report. The ebb in sales came as inflation pricing and tariffs first plagued the market, forcing millions of high-end shoppers to either get creative about getting pricey pieces — or to forgo splurging on splendor altogether.
Enter Blazy.
As overlord of Chanel’s haute couture, ready-to-wear and accessories collections, he’s modernizing each area with eye-popping patterns and silhouettes in an effort to breathe a youthful new life, as well as a bunch of new bucks, into the top-tier trademark.
Representatives for Chanel did not respond to The Post’s request for comment regarding Blazy’s impact on revenue, nor did they provide precise data on how well his designs are resonating with younger demographics, thus far.
Locally, the excitement began to build with last December’s Métiers d’art 2026 show — held on an abandoned downtown NYC train platform and luring in some of Hollywood’s hottest.
Attendees at the fête included Chanel brand ambassadors, A$AP Rocky and Margaret Qualley, alongside chic connoisseurs Tilda Swinton, Kristen Stewart, Solange, Emily Ratajkowski, Dapper Dan, Riley Keough and Jon Bon Jovi.
The A-listers hopped aboard a stationary train for eyefuls of Blazy’s hot handiwork, ranging from his pleasantly playful “Clark Kent” look — a Superman-esque outfit comprised of a blue, red and yellow graphic sweater peeking out beneath a plaid blazer— to a fine fringed skirt crafted from sparkling upside-down Empire State buildings.
The Gotham-inspired collection, which introduced the concept of Chanel’s new edgy yet sophisticated “cool girl,” left the mouths of tastemakers watering for more.
Things reached a fever pitch at Paris Fashion Week in early March — when glamour hounds like Cohen were able to get their eyes on the latest offerings.
“I love the colors and designs he used throughout this entire collection. He brought a cool, young energy to a classic brand, making it even more iconic,” she said.
The style influencer had previously tried purchasing a pair while in Paris — but they were sold out in her size. So she went home, waiting impatiently for the US drop.
“I got there early, before the store even opened, and I was like the 20th person in line,” said Cohen, recalling the “freezing” conditions she endured during her 60-minute wait. While making small talk with her fellow designer devotees, she was instructed to sign into a queue — a virtual waitlist — through which she’d be paired with a sales associate once doors opened.
And once they finally did, haute hell broke loose.
“There was a very chaotic, very rushed energy,” the content creator laughed. “The associates were running around, grabbing things for customers. A few people were fighting over things.”
Cohen, thankfully, wasn’t a party to any high-fashion fisticuffs.
But she did suffer a gut-punch of sorts after learning that the shop was sold out of the flats in her size. That is, until a gal she’d met in line had tried on the shoes, but ultimately determined they were too big. The Good Samaritan handed them over to Cohen in the hopes they’d fit.
It was Cohen’s Cinderella moment.
“When I put them on and they fit, I felt so lucky, like it was meant to be,” she gushed.
The big spender used money she had saved up, as well as cash she’d earned from selling some of her old clothes, to purchase the costly commodities as a birthday present to herself.
She affectionately clutched the treasures — which she admittedly pairs with everything, from jeans to dresses — on the subway ride back home.
“I was in love,” said Cohen of the designer adventure. “It was a moment I’ll always remember.”
Unlike Cohen, Roma Abdesselam refused to hop in lengthy lines for the finery.
Instead, the 29-year-old lifestyle influencer and self-crowned “Stay-At-Home-Daughter,” tasked her trusted sales associate of three years with duking it out on her behalf.
The Tribeca-based diva had her heart set on a $6,200 braided raffia bag with gold-tone metal in red, light beige and black.
And what the privileged princess wants, she gets — even if it costs an arm and a leg.
“I’ve spent more than $100,000 on Chanel ready-to-wear over the last few years, and my sales associate always goes above and beyond for me. I probably talk to her more than I talk to my mom,” laughed Abdesselam, likening the demand for Blazy’s newest numbers to the “Hunger Games.”
“I almost lost one of my best friends over this line,” she confessed. “We wanted the same pair of golden crystal stud earrings ($1,025), and she got the last pair available in the city [at the time] before my sales associate could get them for me.”
Fortunately, Abdesselam’s aide was able to source the precious pieces for her from a Chanel boutique in Japan.
Along with the earring and purse, Abdesselam snagged a denim jacket, scarves and a few swimsuits from the collection, blowing a grand total of $13,000.
But it was a bougie binge she considers worthwhile.
“Shopping makes me feel good about not having a husband and kids yet. Like my attention and affections are being put to good use,” the millennial teased. “I love Matthieu Blazy’s line because, when I shop, I want something that’s expressive, that speaks for itself. When I walk in a room, it’s the conversation piece.“
“These are items everyone wants, but not everyone can get because they’re probably limited and won’t be rereleased down the line,” predicted the prima donna, who’s excited about the recent revival of in-person high-end shopping — and even more excited she doesn’t have to do it.
“I’m grateful I didn’t have to wait in line,” said Abdesselam. “But I think that’s an experience everyone should have at least once in their lives.“
And while Blazy’s collection has certainly been a hit with the younger crowd, long-time Chanel lovers like Renia Jaz, 60, are taking their place in line as well.
“I went for the black and beige heels ($1,450), which I absolutely love,” the content creator from the UK told The Post. “I also picked up a black shopper bag and a pair of earrings I hadn’t planned on buying but couldn’t resist,” she continued. “The only thing I really wish I’d managed to get are the new jeans, but they’re completely sold out everywhere.”
Jaz spent a cool £8,000 (just over $10,500) during her haul — and with no regrets.
“What really draws me to Chanel under Matthieu Blazy is that it feels like a fresh, modern take while still keeping that unmistakable Chanel identity,” she explained. “There’s something lighter and more playful about the new collection that really resonates with me.”
“It feels more current and wearable, without losing the elegance the brand is known for,” she added. “It feels like a new chapter with a strong designer behind it. He’s brought back elements we haven’t seen in a while, like the square-toe shoes, which makes it feel both nostalgic and new at the same time.”
“It’s modern, versatile, and still very Chanel, which is why people are so drawn to it.”
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